FOLLOWING growing concerns from residents, the county council has assured it is considering measures to improve safety of an accident black spot.

Residents and ward councillors from the Worthys and Itchen Valley came out in force at the Cart Horses junction to protest Hampshire County Council’s inaction in providing safety measures.

A week on from when the campaigners gathered at the notorious junction in Kings Worthy, the council’s lead member for universal services, Cllr Nick Adams-King, has shared the improvements being considered.

READ MORE: Cart and Horses Junction: County Council inaction frustrates residents

Cllr Adams-King said: “I fully understand the strong desire of Winchester residents and users of this junction to see it redesigned to better accommodate traffic movements.

“Our traffic engineers are currently assessing what interim improvements can be installed ahead of the potential development of longer-term major changes to the junction.

“These interim interventions are likely to include changing the ‘Give Way’ signs and markings to ‘Stop’ on the B3047 King’s Worthy approach to the junction, and exploring the potential for the provision of electronic ‘speed indicator devices’ on each of the A33 Basingstoke Road approaches.

“We have also asked National Highways to cut back the vegetation that is currently obscuring some of the existing warning and direction signs on the A33 northbound approach.”

SEE ALSO: M3 Junction 9 Winchester: South Downs National Park objections

Local councillors were given the update by the county council on Monday, July 10, following their meeting in May where Cllr Adams-King, Cllr Jane Rutter and Cllr Jackie Porter first discussed possible short-term improvements ahead of the M3 Junction 9 project.

Initial design work has been done to assess the different options in line with the proposed changes to the A30 within the M3 Junction 9 scheme. Options include a signalised junction or two compact roundabouts.

On its website, Hampshire County Council states: “No funding has been identified to deliver a scheme, so the county council will work with National Highways to develop a delivery and funding plan.”